This invention relates to a system for applying a mastic material to a surface.
The term "mastic material" is intended to cover any of various pasty substances used as coatings or adhesives. For example, mastic materials are finding increasing application in the automotive field and specifically are finding -increasing application in facilitating the attachment of plastic automotive body panels to steel skeletons to form the automotive body.
The mastic is typically delivered to the surface through a nozzle in a fan spray pattern so that as the nozzle is moved, for example under the control of a robot, along the surface a mastic coating is applied to the surface conforming to the geometry of the fan spray pattern. It is important for quality control purposes that the fan spray pattern and thereby the spray footprint be maintained substantially constant. Since the fan spray pattern is largely dependent on the temperature of the mastic being delivered to the nozzle, it is critical that the mastic be delivered to the nozzle from the remote mastic supply location at a substantially uniform temperature. Whereas mastic applicator systems have been developed and utilized which attempt to maintain a constant mastic temperature at the nozzle irrespective of significant distances between the mastic source and the nozzle, none of these prior art systems have been totally successful in maintaining a uniform mastic temperature at the nozzle under all operating conditions.